Food and drink sweeteners are a pervasive part of the human diet due to their pleasing taste. Sweeteners may be natural or artificial, caloric or non-caloric, and may take any form suitable for use in edible materials, including granular, powder, syrup, and liquid. Sweeteners may be derived from a variety of sources. Caloric sweeteners include common table sugars (sucrose) derived from sugar-cane or sugar-beets. Other conventional caloric sugars, like fructose and palm sugar, are derived from fruit. Sugars add a pleasant taste to many foods but are high in calories, with one cup of table sugar exceeding 750 dietary calories. Consumption of conventional caloric sweeteners may have undesired effects, such as contributing to obesity and tooth decay. Consequently, various classes of non-caloric or low caloric sweeteners, or sugar substitutes, have been developed to replace sugars in food and drinks.
Sweeteners that may be used in lieu of sugar may be derived from natural sources or may be artificially produced through synthesis and/or derivation methods. Sugar substitutes may have several overall health benefits. Artificial and natural sugar substitutes overall have very few, if any, calories. This feature benefits consumers by lowering the amount of calories that are consumed, making weight management easier. Sugar substitutes generally also have a low glycemic index compared to sugar, resulting in a minimal impact on blood sugar levels. The glycemic index is a measure of how quickly a food raises blood sugar. Foods with a high glycemic index introduce sugar into the blood quickly, with a subsequent sharp reduction in blood sugar due to the action of the hormone insulin. This blood chemistry may create fatigue, dizziness, difficulty with concentration, and carbohydrate cravings leading to the desire to consume more high sugar foods. Foods with a low glycemic index are desirable by people with active lifestyles such as athletes or by people with metabolic disorders such as diabetes mellitus, hypoglycemia, or people suffering from obesity.
Sugar substitutes may also have numerous disadvantages. Some sugar substitutes have unpleasant tastes and/or consistencies. Other sweeteners may pose alleged health risks such as the development of brain tumors from excessive use of the artificial sweetener aspartame. Another drawback with conventional sugar substitutes is the difficulty in cooking with them. Specifically, because sugar substitutes are generally many times sweeter than sugar, less sweetener is required than conventional sugar, and thus it becomes difficult to follow most recipes calling for sugar.